••• Says National Excess of 2.5 Billion Liters, With Sufficiency of More Than 43 Day in Stock.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation limited has attributed the sudden appearance of long queues at filling stations in Abuja to low loadouts at depots.
The NNPC explained in its official Twitter handle on Monday that low load outs usually happen during long public holidays of the Sallah celebrations and Easter celebrations
The company stressed that the sudden appearance of fuel queues in parts of Abuja is as a result of the long public holidays.
In statement by the GGM, GPAD,
NNPC Ltd, Garba Deen Muhammad, said another contributing factor to the sudden appearances of queues is the increased fuel purchases which is also usual with returning residents of the FCT from the public holidays.
He disclosed that the NNPC and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority ( NMDPRA) in conjunction with oil marketing partners have taken necessary measures to ramp up loadouts from all depots.
Advising motorists against panic buying, the NNPC said Nigeria has a national excess of 2.5 billion liters, with sufficiency of more than 43 day in stock.
“The NNPC Ltd notes the sudden appearance of fuel queues in parts of Abuja. This is very likely due to low loadouts at depots which usually happen during long public holidays, in this case, the Sallah celebrations.
“Another contributing factor to the sudden appearances of queues is the increased fuel purchases which is also usual with returning residents of the FCT from the public holidays.
“NNPC and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (@NMDPRAtweets) in conjunction with our marketing partners have taken necessary measures to ramp up loadouts from all depots.
“We assure all residents of the FCT, and indeed all Nigerians, that we have ample local supplies and national stock in excess of 2.5 billion liters, with sufficiency of more than 43 days.
“The NNPC Ltd hereby advises motorist not to engage in panic buying as supplies are adequate as will become increasingly evident in the coming days.”
Residents of Abuja woke up to a sudden scarcity of fuel on Sunday, with long queues at the few filling stations that were dispensing the product.
The Network’s investigation revealed that motorists who couldn’t get the product from the petroleum stations were paying as high as between N350 to N450 per litre from black market operators who are now everywhere in the city.
Curiously while the black market operators are getting the products, motorists are subjected to hours on the queues to buy the product.